SOME 11,000 parents and other concerned citizens have signed a petition against any change in the child benefit allowance.
In both online and handwritten petitions which are addressed to Taoiseach Brian Cowen, the families say that they oppose the introduction of means testing or taxation or reduction of the universal payment.
The petition was organised by a parents’ group called PACUB (Protest Against Child Unfriendly Budget) which was founded in April following the supplementary budget.
The group said any change would impact on families in low and middle incomes who are already more vulnerable from April’s budget due to increased taxes and levies and reduced early childcare supplement.
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin has said that there will be significant changes in the child benefit system.
The report of the special group chaired by economist Colm McCarthy recommended cutting child benefit to a standard rate of €136 a month, which would save €513 million for the exchequer.
Founder of the group Treasa Dovander said families are depending on the payment.
“Our supporters are using their child benefit to feed their children, to pay for childcare, to pay the ‘voluntary’ contributions to schools, and thousands of other child-related expenses from nappies to school books,” she said.
Working families were feeling unfairly targeted Ms Dovander said. She was commenting on messages left by many parents on the website outlining how any change in the allowance would affect their lives.
Child benefit was not a “benevolent handout” but a return of tax paid which recognised the additional costs and responsibilities of rearing children, she said.
The group is to close the online petition in September when it will present it to the Government. The petition can be found online at www.childbenefit.info. Almost 3,500 people have also joined the group on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) has also urged the Government not to cut, means test or tax the allowance.
In a briefing paper issued yesterday the NWCI argued for the maintenance of a universal payment for all families.
The payment was very important to its members. Some 45 per cent of NWCI members who responded in a survey said that a cut in child benefit would be a “financial disaster” for their families.
Two thirds of respondents said the payment was a “critical part” of their income. The NWCI consists of 160 member organisations representing almost 400,000 women.
“Child benefit is the only payment that goes directly to the mother,” Orla O’Connor, head of policy at the NWCI said.
Taxation of the benefit could also discriminate against cohabiting couples and would assume the equal sharing of income in married families. Means testing could disadvantage women on low incomes.
